Billabong Central Backpackers Cairns

... rather than walk the 400 metres or so there. Knowing we would get food on the plane mid afternoon, we just bought a French stick and some ham plus some fruit for lunch which we ate on our return to the Outback.

Ayers Rock airport is a three flight a day place, so check in and security was a breeze (which was a bit more than we could say about the weather, though the place did have air conditioning).

Once in the sky, we saw the now ...

... The town is wedged between a Lagoon and some rather steep mountain, not very tall but steep and they are covered in what look like Rainforest!
Unfortunatlly I did not have the budgetary means to get on a trip out to the reef, so I spent mot of my time at the Lagoon!
Cairns sites on the edge of a natual Lagoon but it does not seem to be the niest place in the world to swim, so they have built a very nice fake one just beside it!! It is basically just a big strangly ...

... 8217;t get picked. But just as I was thinking that ‘Karen, come on up’, gulp, face bright red, thinking o deary me (to be polite, dunno who’s reading this). The guy said we had to do a performance, perhaps perform a song; at this point I was petrified and looking for the exit. What he didn’t say was using a dijarido, massive relief, until I realised how stupid you look whilst trying to make the right mouth movement. Any way to cut the long story ...

... and had a look at their selection but there was hardly anything for anyone over the age of 10. So had a look somewhere else with very little success, it is really weird everywhere has got their Christmas stuff out for sale already and we're walking around in shorts and t-shirts which feels a bit odd. Anyway after walking around for ages we found a signpost for a Party Shop so jumped back in the car and headed in the rough direction and eventually found it after ...

... Beaches: Trinity Beach and Palm Cove, for a quick look. Both were very pretty but very exclusive resorts so we didn’t stay long as we couldn’t even afford an ice cream.

We eventually arrived at Port Douglas, attempting to find our hostel using the trial-and-error approach before finally giving in and asking at an info centre. We checked in and headed straight to the beach, which was lovely at sunset (see photos). We walked back through town ...

... well. In fact, now that I think about it, I am not really your typical backpacker. Sure, I have the requisite backpack, I'm the right age, addicted to the internet, and have very little money which causes me to sleep in rooms with 8 people who all have different bed times. But other than that, I don't drink coffee, or beer, don't like to party all night, and don't wear a bikini or dresses, and I can't get a tan! In fact ...

... car with frangipani stickers to “hippy-fy” it
- Enjoying my time off by dying my hair purple

Worst Bits:

- The huge cost of it all!
- Getting used to traveling with people and compromising
- The large distances between places, e.g. 12 hour Melbourne to Sydney overnight bus ride and looooooooong car journeys on boring roads.
- Not having the opportunity to eat in Ochre (this time…)

... skin tight Lycra suit with a hood and mitt type things that made me look like a teletubby. They were meant to protect everyone from the poisonous jellyfish which enjoy the warm waters there, about 28 C in the water or 80 F. It was pretty hilarious seeing everyone with these suits on shuffling around though. There were huge clusters of coral of all different shapes, sizes and colors. There were countless types of parrot fish, angel fish and all sorts of fish I can't ...

... to hold out, we anchored just off the Green Island a secluded island, where we jumped ship and snorkelled for an hour of so exploring life under the sea, through the coral reefs and swimming with the many sea creatures, nothing too scary although I constantly kept mistaking the huge fish for reef sharks don't know what I was more afraid of! It wasn't the smoothest of swims the current was strong and every time I lifted my head I seemed to be further from ...

... maintained and looked after place with every grass verge and bush cut perfectly. It is some contrast to anywhere in Asia a part from Kota Kinabalu a little but generally a lush city to live in. We're both not city people but really liked the 'American' style spacious layout and organized junction and one-way systems. The place is so much more full of colour than any city or town in England or Ireland with little to no graffiti and ...